SAIP2022

Winter Schools

Winter Schools

	Sustainable Research: Bridging the Gap between Academia and Industry
Date	1 July 2022
Platform	Zoom
Brief Description	One of the major themes of this year’s conference is Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development. This winter school aims to explore the win-win relationship between physics research and industry engagement, and how synergies between the two can lead to, not only the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals, but also the mutual sustainability of both academia and industry.    Join us as our panel of experts unpack the drivers and trends in industry engagement and research commercialisation; and highlight some of the challenges and opportunities you may face along the way. The workshop will also practically equip inspired colleagues to start their own business or start-up with a 3-hour workshop on how to create a business plan.
Programme	Chair: Igle Gledhill, Wits School of Mechanical, Industrial & Aeronautical Engineering Time Topic Presenter 9:00 - 9:10 Welcome   9:10 - 9:55 Drivers for industry engagement and research commercialisation Francesco Petruccione, UKZN School of Chemistry and Physics - Quantum Research Group 9:55 - 10:40 Research to impact: Trends in knowledge exchange and commercialisation Jaci Barnett, Oxford University Innovation 10:40 - 11:00 Tea Break   11:00 - 11:45 Legal limitations and funding opportunities Tinus Vorster, NWU Research Support Department 11:45 - 12:30 Panel Q & A   12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break   13:30 - 16:30 How to create a business plan Margret Cullen, NMU Business School
	Biophysics in Confronting Health Challenges
Date	1 July 2022
Platform	Zoom
Brief Description	Biophysics is a scientific field at the forefront of research that is transforming our understanding of biology and the practice of medicine in magnificent ways. Biophysics is critical to understanding the mechanics of how the molecules of life are made, how different parts of a cell move and function, and how complex systems in our bodies, like the brain, circulation, and immune system, work. In other words, Biophysics plays a key role in our understanding and mitigation of health challenges. This year’s Winter School will involve a series of introductory lectures on current and interesting topics in biophysics, showcasing some of the most significant developments of our time and their application to health. We plan to address topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine development in Africa, and big data modelling.
Programme	Chair: Trevor Sewell (UCT) Time Topic  Presenter 9:00 - 9:05 Welcome and Introduction Trevor Sewell (UCT) 9:05 - 9:50 Plant health: resolving molecular photoprotection mechanisms using single-molecule spectroscopy Tjaart Kruger (UP) 9:50 - 10:35 Breaking the diffraction limit: Brief take on superresolution imaging techniques Gurthwin Bosman (SU) 10:35 - 11:00 Tea/Coffee break & Networking   11:00 - 11:45 Using genomic sequence data to understand the evolution of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 Darren Martin (UCT) 11:45 - 12:30 The role of biophysics in driving vaccine development in the 21st century Martin Friede (WHO) 12:30 - 13:30 Lunch & Networking   13:30 - 14:15 Molecular dynamics for the interpretation of Cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography Tristan Croll (Cambridge Institute for Medical Research) 14:15 - 15:00 Cryo-EM reveals dynamic mechanisms at the heart of an ace blood-pressure regulating enzyme Lizelle Lubbe (UCT) 15:00 - 16:00 Advances in cryo-electron microscopy automation: Better, faster, cheaper, smarter Bridget Carragher (New York Structural Biology Center)   Tea/Coffee & Networking